My first cookbook…Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for Boys and Girls! I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this cookbook! I have my original copy…typical…I have my first doll and my first prom dress and my first drill team practice uniform from high school and also my second drill team practice uniform…my very first Nancy Drew book…my first tea party set…my first elementary school picture. You name it and I probably have it. However, my most prized keepsake is this Betty Crocker Cookbook.
I first saw the cookbook at “The Golden Hour Bookstore” in my hometown. I always thought that the name of the store “Golden Hour” meant that the *** yellow sun*** was about to go down. After sunset was the best time to read!
I was probably about nine or ten years old. The Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls had been in print for several years, but I had never noticed it. My mother and I were in downtown shopping (as usual) on a Saturday afternoon. It seems like the bookstore had been open for just a few months…very close to Harvey’s Candy Store. When I saw the cookbook on a shelf, I practically begged my mother to buy it. I know, I know! It is not really that polite to beg…but think about it!
I was looking at a cookbook made just for children! What could be better?!
I have literally read the cookbook from cover to cover so many times that a lot of the pages are totally loose. I have them safely tucked inside. I thought that it was very cool that the book was for girls AND boys. I had never actually seen a boy cooking, but I supposed that it was possible. OK…I really thought (at the time) that it was (for sure) highly unlikely! Betty Crocker was really “with it” to think of those boys who probably did not want to cook in the first place! This was a long time before there were any celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay or Wolfgang Puck!
One of my favorite parts of the cookbook were the 12 boys and girls who were called the Home Testers. The pictures and comments of the testers were throughout the book. I thought that I would someday be getting a special phone call from Betty Crocker (the real Betty Crocker) asking me to be a Home Tester! I am still waiting for the call, but there is always hope! At least, I can sort of cook now!
The following are some of my most favorite pages from my first cookbook…the start of a now out of control collection of cookbooks!!
The Home Testers!
More pictures and comments of the Home Testers!
Even Party Ideas!
Special occasion cakes for boys and girls to make!
And my favorite page…the ice cream cone cake!!
***Lots of people are probably familiar with the ice cream cone cake! They are so much fun for children and adults to make! The variations for the decorations are limitless! Just in case you have never seen the ice cream cone cake…here is the recipe…***
Ice Cream Cone Cakes
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Make batter for cupcakes as directed on your favorite flavor cake mix package.
3. Pour scan 1/4 cup batter into flat-bottomed ice cream cones, filling scant 1/2 full. If you fill the cones too full, they will not have nice round tops.
4. Set on baking pan and bake 15 to 18 minutes.
5. Cool and frost with your favorite frosting.
6. Decorate as fancy or simple as you want!!!
***The recipe does not call for “made from scratch” cake or frosting, but of course you can put it all together yourself! However, a cake mix and canned frosting work great!***
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I found some new copies of the book at a store in Branson, MO last year…it was an exact printing of my book. I was very excited and bought one for each of my great-nieces and great-nephews! The new editions can usually can be found on Barnes & Noble and Amazon and other sites. The original book was published in 1957…I couldn’t believe that the book had been out for a while and we had not spotted it! Sometimes the original books can be found on Ebay. The fun thing to do…of course…would be to search at every junk and antique store around your area! I guess you could put together a cookbook search party! That was a smart boy to learn to bake! Those 4-H competitions are fun!!!
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Looks like a grand book to have!
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I love this! This would be so fun with Grandkids. My youngest son learned to bake from the simple fact he liked to eat sweets. He figures if he learned to make them he would reap the benefits. He still enjoys cooking with his wife. He also found it helpful in 4-H for ribbon competitions.
Love that book! I now am going to have to keep my eyes open for one at some random sale.
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